The Project 01 - White Jade

Don ' t say it. "
    " Selena… "
    " Don ' t say it unless you mean it. "
    He thought of the dream of his dead lover . " There ' s no point in waiting , Nick. "
    He felt a headache start ing . He wanted to say it. H He couldn't say it. Not yet.
    Selena looked away.

Chapter Fifty-Five

    The night was warm and pleasant. Carter left the windows and screen door of the cabin open to let the breeze blow through. He was sound asleep when something woke him .
    His mind tried to figure out what it was . Then he didn ' t have to think about it. A hammer being cocked makes a distinctive sound . The feel of cold metal against his head was just icing on the cake.
    " Do as I say or die. Wake her. "
    " Who... " The barrel pressed harder into his skull.
    " Wake her. "
    " Selena, " he said. " Selena, wake up. " He shook her by the shoulder. He felt her breath quicken, but she kept her eyes closed. She was awake.
    " Selena, wake up. Someone ' s here. "
    She mumbled and rolled away.
    " She is awake. If she does not open her eyes, you die. I will count three. One. Two. "
    Selena opened her eyes. The gun moved away and the figure stepped back from the bed. He was silhouetted against the window, his head skull-like , an angel of death.
    " Who are you? What do you want? "
    " You, Mister Carter . I want you. And that whore you are sleeping with. The esteemed Miss Connor. "
    " You haven ' t told us who you are. "
    " You don ' t recognize me? We have met before, so to speak. I knew your uncle, Miss Connor. He was not very strong, was he? He would have saved us all a lot of trouble if he had lived longer. "
    " Wu! "
    " That is correct, Mister Carter . Former Colonel Wu. Senior Colonel, as a matter of fact. Things were going well until you interfered. "
    " How did you get here? I thought we were done with you in Tibet . "
    " Yes, that was difficult. I was unconscious for a long time . Once my patron ' s plans were discovered, I found it necessary to leave the country. But enough. Get up. Both of you. "
    He gestured with the gun.
    They got out of bed, naked . Carter wished he had his pants on . He pushed the thought aside. C l othes wouldn't make a damn bit of difference to a bullet . N aked or clothed, it was all the same . He knew they didn ' t have much time.
    " I was going to be a powerful man in the new China , " Wu said. " You destroyed that . You must pay. There is nothing left for me in China . If I am to be destroyed, you must be also. "
    " What do you intend to do? " Wu's face was burned along one side, the wound still raw and ugly. From the corner of his eye Carter saw Selena ' s muscles tense , ready for whatever was about to happen.
    " Do? I ' m going to kill you. Then I am going to enjoy the charms of Miss Connor. Get on your knees. Now. "
    Not a good idea. Wu was a little out of reach, but it was now or never. Carter watched the gun . Then he heard the cat through the open screen door.
    " UUURRRRPPP ! "
    Wu glanced toward that human sound and Nick launched for him. Se lena leap t over the bed. He crashed into Wu and felt the hot burn of the gun going off by his face. He drove Wu back into the wall.
    Wu was quick and he was strong. He twisted and got his arm around Nick's throat . He brought the gun up a nd t hen he screamed. Selena had a nerve lock on him.
    Wu let go and drove his elbow into Selena ' s stomach. She went down gasping. Nick chopped at his wrist. The gun fired into the floor and went flying. Wu brought his hand down hard and Nick's left arm went numb. Wu deflected a kick to the groin and tried for a kidney strike but Nick slipped past and slammed the palm of his right hand up under Wu's nose and drove the cartilage into his brain. Wu went down hard on his back, blood pouring from the front of his face. His feet drummed on the floor.
    Nick went to Selena, down on one knee, sucking in air.
    " You all right? "
    " Yes. "
    He checked the body for life signs. When he was sure Wu was dead, he went to Selena and held her naked body against his .
    Then he called the Director.

Chapter Fifty-Six

    Harker had a cleanup team at the cabin before dawn. They took the body. The re was a long, splintered gouge in the floor from Wu's bullet .
    Carter poured a double Irish into his coffee and went out on the deck. The sun was creeping over the ridge in back of the cabin. Rivers of light streamed like white fire through the branches of the trees . S moke-like wisps of moisture rose from the ground. The smell of pine needles and damp